A Pint For Kim
We are the friends and family of Kimberley Benedyk Sandford of Naperville, Illinois who, after an inspiring eight year journey with a rare cancer, left us in March 2020. Our 100% volunteer run team now organizes blood drives year-round in her memory, including our big annual record-setting Mother’s Day Weekend drive and life-saving festival, held in Naperville, IL. We are not a typical charity as we do not try to raise money. We only try to raise awareness that the largest use of donated blood goes to cancer patients and to inspire blood donations in Kim’s memory! None of this would be possible without the generosity of hundreds of volunteers who donate their time and effort to make each event a success, as well as our generous Mother’s Day weekend event sponsors and prize donors!
CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM OUR 2025 EVENT!!
Once again we will gather on Saturday of Mother’s Day Weekend to continue to save lives in Kim’s memory! And… to try to break the state record for largest one-day blood drive for the 6th year in a row! Last year we only broke it by a handful of pints, so we really need and appreciate each and every one of you!
Our 6th annual event is Saturday, May 10 at Naperville North High School. The first appointment is 7:30 a.m. and the last one is at 3:30 p.m. with walk-ins welcome until 3:15 p.m. You can grab one of our over 1,300 blood donation appointment spots by CLICKING HERE. And you can sign up to volunteer by CLICKING HERE.
We are also back again with live music, food trucks, carnival games, “Naperville celebrities” dunk tank, hyper-cars, the US Marine Corps, therapy dogs, face painting, temporary tattoos, photobooths, kids’ crafts, Mother’s Day card making stations, and our annual “thank you drawing” with a RECORD SETTING $40,000+ in donated prizes for our blood donors and volunteers to win! Click to see the event page!
We can’t wait to see you and your friends and family this Mother’s Day Weekend for another amazing life-saving festival that is ALWAYS completely FREE, family-friendly, and open to ALL! We hope that you will make A Pint For Kim a part of your annual Mother’s Day Weekend traditions!
SAVE THE DATE: Our 7th Annual A Pint For Kim Blood Drive and Life Saving Festival will be Saturday, May 9, 2026 at Naperville North High School as we continue to be the largest one-day blood drive in the state of Illinois!
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Kim’s youngest sister, Kristyn, wrote a personal essay that was published by The Huffington Post sharing intimate details about how the “A Pint For Kim” movement was born, including how it was actually Kim’s idea!
The essay reached millions of readers resulting in Kim’s family receiving emails from people all over the world sharing their own personal stories of grief and loss as well as joyfully sharing that they donated in Kim’s memory. These messages came from numerous states and countries, officially making the “A Pint For Kim” movement an international one.
To read about how the very first blood drive was launched and to discover why this movement is so important to Kim’s family, you can read the essay here.
Check back soon for Kim’s handwriting items, NNHS / APFK items, and more!
All proceeds support NNHS Boosters as a way to thank Naperville North for donating their venue!
After Kim passed, her sisters opened the journal that was on her nightstand. On the very first page, Kim had written: “What are we doing here & why? *We are here not for ourselves. We are here to live & serve others. *Life is NOT about us.”
At the time that Kim wrote this, she was undergoing numerous treatments, experiencing pain and fatigue, and coming to terms with the finality of her situation. And yet… through all of it, she never stopped believing with all of her heart that the true path to happiness in life is through service to others. Kim embodied selflessness every step of the way, her entire life. Her final wish to have a blood drive instead of a wake – and to use her story to spread awareness – shows that even in death, Kim still continued to put others first.
We hope that her words in her handwriting can be an inspiration to others which is why we offer limited edition sales of these items throughout the year.
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Kim’s heroic eight-year experience with cancer began in 2012 when she was diagnosed with a 1-in-a-million stage IV cancer. Though the initial prognosis was scary, Kim battled with fierce determination, strength, and grace. We consider the eight years we had with Kim after that diagnosis to be a gift, one that she gave us by fighting so hard. You can read more about her story HERE. You can also read about the very moment the A Pint For Kim movement began when we were made aware that the largest use of donated blood is for cancer patients. This blood is needed while they undergo treatments as anemia is a common chemotherapy side effect; your donated blood is what allows cancer patients to be strong enough to keep fighting their battles!
To see all of the beautiful photos taken and generously provided by James Martin of The Base Chicago (2023) and Leslie Najera-Rivas (2024), visit our gallery!
We miss Kim with all of our heart and soul, but seeing all of the lives that are saved – and seeing all of the JOY that the May event brings to families – gives us so much comfort!! We know Kim is smiling with happiness and gratitude upon everyone who is a part of A Pint For Kim!
Kimberley had an extremely rare type of cancer. It is not the only rare disease the family has faced. In 2025, Kim’s father lost his multi-year battle to another rare disease, Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). To learn more about rare diseases including how you can support research or find support for you or a loved one, visit the National Organization for Rare Diseases by CLICKING HERE.
Richard Allen Benedyk, age 73, beloved husband of Catherine Delporte Benedyk, loving father of Kathleen (and Gregg) Fuglsang, Kristyn Benedyk, and the late Kimberley (and Robert) Sandford, devoted grandfather of Hannah, Tyler, Kyle, Ricky, and JD, and dear brother of Linda (and Larry) Gnat, passed away peacefully on November 2, 2025, surrounded by his wife and daughters after a brave battle with Multiple System Atrophy, a rare illness that he fought with strength and humor. He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Harriet Benedyk, his brothers Jerry, Jimmy, and Dennis, and his two daughters.
